The Road Less Traveled (Prof./Student)

Chapter 40 - I need something

For the next hours, I didn't leave my room and if I could have, trust me I would have stayed in here until this trip would be over. 

I really wanted to talk to Alex about my decision, but there just didn't seem to be the right moment. I mean, in front of two professors in the pool or a whole bunch of students? I couldn't just go up to him and be like 'let's talk about our relationship now'. Especially not, if he was this distant around me. 

And who could blame him? 

I sighed, pulled a hoodie out of my suitcase and walked out the door to meet the others. We already had dinner and were now meeting in the forest around a campfire to have, as Mrs Webber had said it 'a romantic atmosphere'.

But if I looked into the faces of the other students, you couldn't really speak of romantic. It was cold, pitch dark and there were a lot of insects around us. Everyone must have planned something better for the night, even if it would have just been secretly drinking alcohol. 

Sitting at that campfire, I couldn't believe that that was what they called a literature trip. It felt more like an admission into some cult and I wouldn't have been surprised if all of a sudden a witch would have appeared behind one of those scary looking pine trees. 

Apparently, Mrs Webber seemed to ignore all of that and enthusiastically announced:

"Okay, okay. When everyone's here, we can start. Professor Martin and Professor Cullen will alternately ask the question and we go from left to right. Don't be shy and just say your answer that you've prepared. There's no right or wrong."

Professor Martin started and asked the question for the first time and I immediately went through the upcoming order in my mind only to realise that, if they would continue like this, Alex would have to ask me the question. 

Are you kidding me right now?! How many coincidences could there be? Someone was clearly after me. But yeah...what could you do? 

Sneaking up behind a tree would have been a possibility..but I feared that if I'd have taken a step into the darkness, I would have gotten lost. So, I focused my attention on my breath to calm down and listened to the other responses. 

Most of them revealed that no one really was interested in seriously thinking about something. 'Yes.' 'I don't know.' 'No, silly.' Or more romantic ones like 'I love you'. 

I almost felt embarrassed about my answer but it was what I would say. Still, my nervousness increased and when it was my turn, I was almost shaking. 

"Are you still angry with me?", Alex's soothing voice made it's way to my ear again but this time it was different. This time, he said it to me. 

When he realised that, I noticed that he had to swallow and for a moment, we just looked at each other. 

"And you answer would be?", Mrs Webber interrupted our moment and I almost glared at her. 

I closed my eyes before I opened them again and looked straight into his. 

"I've been too busy missing you to be angry", I answered firmly and meant every word. 

And for the first time in days, I could see emotions in his eyes again. 

"Oh that's a good one! And quite interesting. Did you have somebody in mind?", Mrs Webber interjected again and I looked down.

"Yes, I did", I replied and hoped that she would let it go but Mrs Webber wouldn't have been her if she wouldn't have wanted to know more.

"May I ask who?", she tried again and I shook my head smiling at her curiosity. 

My eyes moved up and meet Alex's again, which had never left my face.